Sweeter Words Saturday: Browning Part Two

Just because there is so many sonnets and are just too good. 

This is another Sweeter Word Sunday dedicated to Elizabeth

Barrett Brownings. 

Best Wishes.

Songs of the Portuguense by Elizabeth Barrett Brownings

Sonnet 9

Can it be right to give what I can give?

To let thee sit beneath the fall of tears

As salt as mine, and hear the sighing years

Re-sighing on my lips renunciative

Through those infrequent smiles which

      fail to live

for all thy adjurations? O my fears,

That this can be scarce be right! We are

      not peers,

So to be lovers; and I own, and grieve,

That givers of such gifts as mine are,

      must

Be counted with the ungenerous. Out,

       alas!

I will not soil thy purple with my dust,

Nor give thee any love - which were

       unjust.

Beloved, I only love thee! let it pass.

Sonnet 26

I LIVED with visions for my company

Instead of men and women, years ago,

And found them gentle mates, not

thought to know

A sweeter music than they played to 

        me.

But soon their trailing purple was not 

        free

Of this world's dust, their lutes did 

        silent grow,

And I myself grew faint and blind below

Their vanishing eyes. Then THOU didst

        come - to be,

Beloved, what they seemed. Their

shining fronts,

Their songs, their splendors (better, yet

the same,

As river-water hallowed into fonts),

Met in thee, and from out thee over

came

My soul with satisfaction of all wants:

Because God's gifts put man's best

dreams to shame.

Sonnet 29

I THINK of thee! - my thoughts do twine

       and bud

About thee, as wild wines, about a tree,

Put out broad leaves, and soon there's 

       nought to see

Except the straggling green which hides

       the wood.

Yet, O my palm-tree, be it understood

I will not have my thoughts instead of 

       thee

Who art dearer, better! Rather, instantly

Renew thy presence; as a strong three

       should,

Rustle thy boughs and set thy trunk all 

       bare,

And let these band s of greenery which

       insphere thee

Drop heavily down, - burst, shattered,

       everything where!

Because, in this deep joy to see and hear

       thee

And breather within thy shadow a new

       air

I do not think of thee - I am too near 

       thee. 

Sweeter Words Saturday: Elizabeth Barrett Browning Edition

I am not ashamed to say that my first exposure to the 
works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning is from Robert
Zemechis's "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" Eddie Valient 
had just pressed Roger Rabbit for his alibi, Roger Rabbit 
begins to describe how he had spent the evening writing 
his wife a love letter. Roger proceeds to quote Browning's 
work before jumping up and down literally counting out 
aloud his love for his wife, Jessica Rabbit.


It seems that out of Browning's work, that stanza is 
commonly used and cited in the media. I quite enjoyed 
her sonnets from the Portuguese and will be sharing some 
stanzas.

Browning's own life seems to have influenced the songs 
of the Portuguese. I hope you enjoy these sonnets.

Songs of the Portuguese's by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Sonnet 6

Go from me. Yet I feel that I shall

      stand

Henceforward in thy shadow. Never-

      more

Alone upon the threshold of my door

Of individual life, I shall command

The uses of my soul, nor lift my hand

Serenely in the sunshine as before,

Without the sense of that which I for-

      bore -

Thy touch upon the palm. The widest

      land

Doom takes to part us, leaves thy    

     heart in mine

With pulses that beat double. What I 

    do

And what I dream include thee, as the

    wine

Must taste of its own grapes. And    

    when I sue

God for myself, He hears that name of

    thine,

And sees within my eyes the tears of 

    two.

Sonnet nine

Can it be right to give what I can give?

To let thee sit beneath the fall of tears

As salt as mine, and hear the sighing

     years

Re-sighing on my lips renunciative

Through those infrequent smiles             

    which fail to live

For all thy adjurations? O my fears, 

That this can scarce be right! We are

    not peers,

So to be lovers; and I own, and grieve,

That givers of such gifts as mine are,

    must

Be counted with the ungenerous. Out,

    alas!

I will not soil thy purple with my dust,

Nor breathe my poison on thy Venice -

    glass,

Nor give thee any love - which were

    unjust.

Beloved, I only love thee! let it pass.

Sonnet 12

Indeed this very love which is my boast,

And which, when rising up from 

       breast to brow,

Doth crown me with a ruby large enow

To draw men's eyes and prove the

      inner cost, -

This love even, all my worth, to the 

      utterance most,

I should not love withal, unless that 
      thou 
Hadst set me an example, shown me   

      how,

When first thine earnest eyes with mine 

      were crossed,

And love called love. And thus, I can-

      not speak

Of love even, as a good thing of my own:

Thy soul  hath snatched up mine all    

     faint and weak,

And placed it by thee on a golden 

     throne, -

And that I love (O soul, we must be 

    meek!)

Is by thee only, whom I love alone.

Music Lesson: the Beginning

This is a new series for the blog. As a child, I was not active in anything to do
with music. My giant purple radio/CD player, my parent's CDs, or pop music
was what I knew. I was clueless about music for a very long time. Also years
of chorus did nothing for my ability to read music.

Years later, I am still clueless about music in many ways. After reflecting on my
music habits, I have decided to ditch the headphones and embrace the silence.
When I destroy my earhairs, it will be because of a live show not my iPod. I also
am embracing learning to actually play and sing the songs I enjoy. Plus I have a
piano that has been staring at me in my studio.

I will be sharing what I am learning on the way. Most will be old hat and some
new tricks along the way.

Best wishes.

#whyicreate

Etsy shared a new hashtag to Twitter and Instagram 

in April to encourage others to share why they create 

and make the things they do. I was bit occupied at 

the time to join the crowd originally. But I thought it 

was time to share anyways.

I feel like when I am creating something, anything 

really, I am at the time my most true and honest self. 

I also feel I create in order to make connections to 

others and the world around.

Best wishes.

Sweeter Words Sunday: When I was in Love

Once a upon a time, I took a creative writing. I bored people with my words about things I didn't care about, while I stored away the words that hit home. Other students bored me with their words while others blew me out of water with their raw talent.

We also read lots poetry about love, break ups, and pain. My professor was in a rough patch of his relationship. It pained him dearly. 

Our "textbook" was "The Hell with Love: Poems to Mend a Broken Heart"edited by Mary D. Esselman and Elizabeth Ash Velez. It was full of pain, resent, anger, and regret. At nineteen, those poems of pain did not move me. I barely understood what they meant or let alone identify the feelings of the poems. I read my notes written on hallmark heart-shaped "love" sticky note, I see how clueless I was about the words I was reading. I also had failed to see the irony of heart- shaped sticky notes in a poetry book about heartbreak.

One poem did stick out and I understood it at once. I thought I would share it. 

"Oh, When I Was in Love with You" 

By A.E. Housman

Oh, when I was in love with you,

       Then I was clean and brave,

And miles around the wonder grew

       How well did I behave.

And now the fancy passes by,

       And nothing will remain,

And miles around they'll say that I

       Am quite myself again.

24 Before 25

I am creating a new list of things I would like
to accomplish before I am another year older.
To a another year. I have not in previous years

not finished my lists, but hope is a tough thing

to kill. On a side note, peonies are glorious at this 

time of year. 

1. Crochet 100% Cotton Scarf
2. Read a new book per month
3. Blog every month
4. Go to five Art Exhibitions
5. Learn how to Knit
6. Get a Starbucks Gold Card
7. Draw more portraits
8. Win a bet 
9. Be a better person
10. Teach Grandmother how to knit
11. Buy a Bike
12. Eliminate some debt
13. Garden profusely
14. Study the bible regularly
15. Volunteer
16. Make Money
17. Learn Piano
18. Write a Children's Book
19. Do a study of Floral Illustrations
20. Visit Chicago
21. Be a better Etsy Seller
22. Create a Design Portfolio (7-8 projects)
23. Be stronger
24. Solo Vacation

Best Wishes and good luck on your goals.

24 hours

The quote: "You have the same amount twenty-four hours as Beyonce"

does not sit well with me. It makes me feel guilty about not having 

enough hours in the day or not finishing all the things I should in one day.

So I created this anti-quote to remind me that I am not Beyonce or have 

her team power. I have only so much to do and that is alright with me.

Thanks for reading.

Sweeter Words Saturday: To the Small Celadine

For those you did not know, it's National Poetry Month. I will be
celebrating by sharing a different poem each Saturday from a different
poets and writers. 

This first one is another one from William Wordsworth celebrating a small
but fair flower. Granted the image above does not have a Celadine, but it
works.

To the Small Celadine by William Wordsworth

Pansies, lilies, kingcups, daisies,

Let them live upon their praises;

Long as there's a sun that sets,

Primroses will have their glory;

Long as there are violets,

They will have a place in story: 

There's a flower that shall be mine,

'Tis the little Celadine.

Eyes of some men travel far
For the finding of a star;
Up and down the heavens they go,
Men that keep a mighty rout!
I'm as great as they, I trow,
Since the day I found thee out,
Little Flower! - I'll make a stir,
Like a sage astronomer.

Modest, yet withal an Elf
Bold, and lavish of thyself;
Since we needs must first have met
I have seen thee, high and low,
Thirty years or more, and yet
'Twas a face I did not know;
'Thou hast now, go where I may,
Fifty greetings in a day.

Ere a leaf is on a bush,
In the time before the thrush
Has a thought about her nest,
Thou wilt come with half a call,
Spreading out thy glossy breast
Like a careless Prodigal;
Telling tales about the sun,
When we've little warmth, or none.

Poets, vain men in their mood!
Travel with the multitude:
Never heed them; I aver
That they all wanton wooers;
But the thrifty cottager,
Who stirs little out of doors,
Joys to spy thee near her home;
Spring is coming, Thou art come!

Comfort have thou of thy merit,
Kindly, unassuming Spirit!
Careless of thy neighborhood,
Thou dost show thy pleasant face
On the moor, and in the wood,
In the lane; there's not a place,
Howsoever mean it be,
But 'tis good enough for thee.

I'll befall the yellow flowers,
Children of the flaring hours!
Buttercups, that will be seen,
Whether we will see or no;
Others, too, of lofty mein;
They have done as worldlings do,
Taken praise that should be thine,
Little, humble Celandine!

Prophet of delight and mirth,
Ill-requited upon the earth;
Herald of a mighty band,
Of a joyous train ensuing,
Serving at my heart's command,
Tasks that are no tasks renewing,
I will sing, as doth behove,
Hymns in praise of what I love!

In Review: "That's What She Said: Power and Purpose"

Soulpancake is a creative agency and a new media agency. They say that "our brain batter of art, culture, science, philosophy, spirituality, and humor to open...challenge...and feel damn good". They say that their mission is to "make things that matter" and to helps other "to figure out what it means to be human." 

Meanwhile Darling Magazine is a magazine that specializes "in the art of women" and "exist to encourage and empower women and be a voice of love." They pride themselves in seeing "beauty in every type of women", offering "tangible, deep advice" on various issues including serious topics, also evoking "a discussion on femininity", and a "catalyst for positive change."

These two powerhouses, Soulpancake and Darling Magazine, collaborated to create a series called "That's What She Said" on youtube. This is a series that strives to start an honest conservation about topics like Power and Purpose. Below you can see the topics that have been covered in this series so far.

• Power and Purpose
• 10 Things Every Female Should Know
• Parents and Parenting 
• Aging and Death
• Perception and Confidence

The video was a beautiful and thought provoking. I did not agree with all the opinions presented nor do I think they were presented to be the right answer. The video was made to cause questions and start conversations between women from all walks of life. The video asked three main questions to the panel which were the one that follow.

Do Women need to become like Men in order to achieve power and status?

Are there ways we can be unique leaders in the world without dismissing or
ashamed of our gender?

Where do you get your power and purpose? How do you embrace being a women
in your career?

I wanted to share my thoughts and responses to these questions. My idealistic and romantic part of my soul believes that women do not need to be like men to achieve power and status. I do fundamentally that women can be successful without losing a sense of themselves or acting like someone else that they are not.  

But at the same time, it seems to represented via the media and society that women have to be like men to succeed. Women that act "like women" are represented as not succeeding or achieving or being successful. Or are perceived as not on being the same level of success as men. My belief and what seems to be represented as the norm is completely different. 

My career is truly run by Men. Men rule the Art Historical Canon, contemporary art world, and the top designers that appear in Graphic Design Conferences are men. The women artists that I can name are truly less many a dozens. Though there is a lot of women in the arts, we are the object..the muse. Women are the crafters, makers, wives, the lovers, the mistresses, an interesting side-story, or the ex-wife. It is intimidating to see and learn that man after man are the ones breaking new ground or the hot newest artist. Women are always one step behind. 

I think women can be unique leaders. Women have a lot to bring to table. They bring perspective, experience, youth, wisdom, and so much more to any situation.

I get my sense of power and purpose from my values,  my family, my community, and Jehova. These things bring out the best in me and forces and encourages me to have valor and do things I would not dare to do. To have the balls to go after what I desire in life.

I do not know what the answers to these questions are. I do not know how to change others or their thoughts. I only know to how to change myself and I hope that my actions can speak a thousands times louder than my words ever could. To see this video or see what these two companies are doing, follow the links to explore. Thanks for reading.

Sources:

Soulpancake

Darling Magazine

That's What She Said: Power and Purpose

Process: Bookplates & Letterpress

Hi guys,

I wanted to pop in to share some photos from my most
recent project. I have chained myself once to the type lab
to finish a cookbook and bookplates that will be completed
by the 1st of May. The deadline is fast approaching and time
is fleeting. 

Enjoy the images from the lab.

Joy of a Sunday

Sweeter Words Saturday: The Tables Turned

Spring fever and senioritis are nowhere to be seen, but the call of the mountain sounds and brambling outdoors never loses its charm. Even in the dead of winter, I want to wander across fields and forgotten woods.

But until the nasty winter winds die down, here's a poem by Wordsworth 
to tide me over.

The Tables Turned by William Wordsworth

Up! Up! my Friend, and quit your books;

Or surely you'll grow double:

Up! Up! my Friend, and clear your looks;

Why all this toil and trouble?

The sun, above the mountain's head,

A freshening lustre mellow

Through all the long green fields has spread,

His first sweet evening yellow.

Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:

Come, and hear the woodland linnet,

How sweet his music! on my life,

There's more of wisdom in it.

And hark! How blithe the throstle sings!

He, too, is no mean preacher:

Come forth into the light of things,

Let Nature be your teacher.

She has a world of ready wealth,

Our minds and hearts to bless --

Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health, 

Truth breathed by cheerfulness.

One impulse from a vernal wood

May teach you more of a man,

Of moral evil and of good,

Than all the sages can.

Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;

Our meddling intellect

Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:

We murder to dissect.

Enough of Science and Art;

Close up those barren leaves;

Come forth, and bring with you a heart

That watches and receives.

In Progress Mission & Values

Hi Guys as I have written before I have started the process of branding 
my personal brand, "Foolishly Wise", and myself to represent myself the 
way I desire via social media and other mediums. Branding is often used 
as a catchall word for anything that is associated with the decisions about 
graphic elements, images, fonts, styles, and etc. Branding is also is sharing 
a story of the person or company or an organization.

This Branding process is scary and extremely exciting at the same time. I am
making decisions about how I represent myself that I have never made before 
or never given much thought to. I have done branding before for others and 
imaginary companies, but the experience of designing yourself is quite different. 
Each decisions feels so much more personal and heavier.

I want to share my in progress Mission & Values for myself overall. This is not 
perfect, but it is in the right track I want to go on.

Mission

To create, share, and participate in a greater exchange of knowledge and growth 
that results in work that celebrates life, relationship, nature, community, and the 
wonders of learning.

Values

• Ecology
• Education
• Exploration
• Social Responsibility
• Handmade

I hope this will give you insight into the branding process and what Foolishly Wise 
and I am about. I will be sharing in the future my working Artist Statement. See 
you later. 

Lean Closet: Defining & Editing

If I would write a letter to my younger self, I would have a great number of things

to say and encouragements to write. One of those things I would feel the need to

write would be about style and who I was to become as person. I would write that 

your clothes will always be more on the utilitarian side and you will never set for a

fabric that you don't like. Also that you will spend years not concerning yourself

too much about your appearance while you are clean, sensible, and presentable.

And all of that is perfectly fine, you will get better with age.

While that is what I would tell my younger self, what I am expecting of my current

self is a different ball game.

As I am entering a new stage in life, I do want my utilitarian clothes to not just be

useful but represent part of what I think I am as a person. I am taking a plunge to

create a closet this year that reflects me and all that I am. This series will document

this journey and take advice from several sources over the internet. If this series hits

close to home, I hope that the advice presented and can guide you to take your own

plunge and present you to fabulous ladies with sound wardrobe advice.

I will start with advice from Cuyana. Cuyana is a fine clothing company creating 

well-made and timeless pieces for women that has decided to start a movement. They call it the Lean Closet Movement. They have written that "A lean closet enables a fuller life: for ourselves and for others. Our Lean Closet Movement challenges us to collect fewer, better things, and to donate the pieces in our wardrobes that are merely taking up space to those who need them."

    

Most people start off with donating and editing their current wardrobe, to

see far better advice than I can give check out the links at the end of the post.

They are quite thoughtful and practical. My wardrobe is at the another end of

that spectrum. My wardrobe is quite sparse to the point of monotony. I had a

one odd piece that will find its home somewhere else hopefully. Part of this 

sparseness comes from purging multiple times before with moving on to purchasing

or identifying what type of closet I desire (Opps). 

I would really define my dream wardrobe to be filled with dark blue skinny jeans,

well made purses, quiet patterns that mix and play, leather oxfords, and simplicity. 

To further illustrate what I am aiming for, I made these collages that represent the

feel of what I desire. Colour is a playful second fiddle, not the main attraction.

Those are my thoughts for now. Catch you later.

Sources & Great Advice:

Cuyana and their Complete "Lean Closet Movement Series"

Kendi Everyday and her "Working Closet Series"

Wide Eyed Legless and her "Perfect Wardrobe Series"

Darling Magazine and their articles, "Dress like An Adult", "Clear that Closet Clutter", & "Closet Cleanse 101."



All Images found via Pinterest

Process: Learning Curve

While attending University there are moments you are assigned exercises and assignments that as a budding art student with no experience, a deep lack of knowledge and vision, and a very vague concept, you are truly and completely unprepared to tackle that assignment.

This is called the learning curve. Good ideas do not come easily or at the best time. Also bad ideas and mistakes happen way too often. The lousy truth is that you will make bad work as well as good work. Not every idea you will have will be gold and that is part of the process. 

It takes a great while to learn to churn out ideas that are good, wierd, bad, and inconsistent. It takes a greater while to learn resistant and edit and not to be dishearten by bad excercises. 

Unfortunely some fine material is scarficed in the name of learning like this vintage book called Silent Reader. The learning curve is quite large but worth sticking it out.

Moodboard: Foolishly Wise

As I reach the end of my time at university, my thoughts are pondering more and more where I am headed and how I want to get there. 

My thoughts are also turning towards how and what I choose to represent myself and how I want to represent myself. This process is a bit of an old hat since it follows a similar pattern to graphic design work. 

The key difference between this and previous project is that I am applying all this thoughtful and carefully chosen manner to my our life and story. While the experience is quite exciting, it is at the same time quite frightening. I will be sharing ends and bits of the process along the way. 

Thank you.

*allimages found via Pinterest 

New Year Thoughts & Resolutions

In the midst of millions of New Year Resolutions made, I found myself resisting. 

I wanted to commit to the thousands of projects, travels, and goals my heart dared 

to dream of, but I did not want my pen to touch paper.

I puttered a few days after New Years, feeling a bit guilty about not making 

resolutions. I was feeling that by not having a resolution I was giving up on 

those plans in the first place. Even with those thoughts in place, I persisted in 

not making a resolution. It somehow it did not feel right, making a that list this 

year. A vague list that was aloof felt wrong for me, and a detailed list that spanned 

pages made me cringe.

Later as I was scrolling through Pinterest, I found these gems. It sums up 

what 2013 was like for me and what I dream that 2014 should be.

My resolution for this year and every year is work hard to be where I want to 

be tomorrow.

Images sourced from http://hqlines.me/.  

Sweeter Words Saturday:

Children literature and prose is my favorite section in every library and bookstore. I am drawn in by the colours, the typography, book design, and the quirky stories that lie within each book. I have the refined taste of a twelve year old and I am not a ashamed. 

I read a bit of children poetry and prose a while ago and copied the poems I liked into a small journal. This was one of them. The age is evident in the old choices and how people are described, but the sass is undeniable there.

I will share a bit more information about the author later. I also think that a poodle can substitute for a lamb.

"If No One Ever Marries Me" by Laurence Alma-Tadema

If no one ever marries me-

        And I don't see why they should,

For nurse says I'm not pretty

        And I'm seldom very good-

If no one ever marries me

        I shan't mind very much;

I shall buy a squirrel in a cage,

       And a little lamb, quite clean and tame,

That I can take to town.

And when I'm getting really old,

        At twenty eight or nine,

I shall buy a little orphan girl

        And bring her up as mine.